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The purpose of poetry

My post tonight is short, because I have to write a wedding ceremony for my friends. Friends and family are funny — they say “oh hell, Shafer’s the writer, he’ll write it.” And it’s an honor and all, but I always kind of want to ask “have you ever read any of my poems? Do you really want me to write your wedding vows?” But the answer is usually yes.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking today about the purpose of poetry. It used to be a great thing for a wedding to be very poetic, but these days it seems like it’s all about business. And you know what? I didn’t start writing poetry for public use. I started writing it to amuse myself, and to help myself figure things out. Poetry in a public forum was a side-effect.

Mostly a fun side-effect, but sometimes it’s a pain in the neck. Not tonight, though — as much as I complain about it, I think the poetry business can be fun once I dive into it. The wedding’s on Saturday, so I’ll let you know on Sunday (earlier this time — sorry Tracy) how it went.